Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Fancy Yoursula’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Chrysanthemum  plant named ‘Fancy Yoursula’, characterized by its compact, upright, outwardly spreading and mounded plant habit; very freely branching habit; dense and full plant habit; uniform and freely flowering habit; small decorative-type inflorescences with ligulate-shaped ray florets; orange bronze-colored ray florets; and natural season flowering date of about September 14 th  in the Northern Hemisphere.

Botanical designation: Chrysanthemum×morifolium.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Fancy Yoursula’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant, botanically known as Chrysanthemum×morifolium, commercially grown as a perennial garden Chrysanthemum plant, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Fancy Yoursula’.

The new Chrysanthemum plant is a naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of Chrysanthemum×morifolium ‘Festive Yoursula’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 15,324. The new Chrysanthemum plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within a population of plants of ‘Yoursula’ in a controlled greenhouse environment in De Lier, The Netherlands in September, 2006.

Asexual reproduction of the new Chrysanthemum plant by vegetative cuttings was first conducted in a controlled greenhouse environment in De Lier, The Netherlands in November, 2006. Asexual reproduction by cuttings has shown that the unique features of this new Chrysanthemum plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Fancy Yoursula’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Fancy Yoursula’ as a new and distinct garden Chrysanthemum cultivar:

-   -   1. Compact, upright, outwardly spreading and mounded plant         habit.     -   2. Very freely branching habit; dense and full plant habit.     -   3. Uniform and freely flowering habit.     -   4. Small decorative-type inflorescences with ligulate-shaped ray         florets.     -   5. Orange bronze-colored ray florets.     -   6. Natural season flowering occurs about September 14^(th) in         the Northern Hemisphere.

In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Alva, Fla., plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of the parent, ‘Festive Yoursula’, in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum were more compact than plants         of ‘Festive Yoursula’.     -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum and ‘Festive Yoursula’         differed in ray floret color as plants of ‘Festive Yoursula’ had         bronze-colored ray florets.     -   3. Ray floret color of plants of the new Chrysanthemum was         longer lasting than ray floret color of plants of ‘Festive         Yoursula’.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants of Chrysanthemum×morifolium ‘Warm Yoursula’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 16,146. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Alva, Fla., plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of ‘Warm Yoursula’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum were more compact than plants         of ‘Warm Yoursula’.     -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flowered earlier than plants         of ‘Warm Yoursula’ when grown under natural season conditions.     -   3. Ray floret color of plants of the new Chrysanthemum was         longer lasting than ray floret color of plants of ‘Warm         Yoursula’.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants of Chrysanthemum×morifolium ‘Katelli’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 16,674. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Alva, Fla., plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of ‘Katelli’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum were more compact and more         spherical in shape than plants of ‘Katelli’.     -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flowered three days earlier         than plants of ‘Katelli’ when grown under natural season         conditions.     -   3. Ray floret color of plants of the new Chrysanthemum was         lighter than ray floret color of plants of ‘Katelli’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Chrysanthemum. These photographs show the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Chrysanthemum.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Fancy Yoursula’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the top of the sheet is a close-up view of typical inflorescences of ‘Fancy Yoursula’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations and measurements describe plants grown in Alva, Fla. during the autumn in a polycarbonate-covered greenhouse and under conditions and practices which approximate those generally used in commercial garden Chrysanthemum production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures averaged 29° C. and night temperatures averaged 18° C. Plants were grown in 10-cm containers under short day/long night conditions. Plants were pinched one time about two weeks after planting and had been growing for eight weeks when the photographs and description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Chrysanthemum×morifolium ‘Fancy Yoursula’. -   Parentage:

Naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of Chrysanthemum×morifolium ‘Festive Yoursula’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 15,324.

-   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots.—About four days at temperatures of             about 21° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant.—About ten to twelve             days at temperatures of about 21° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching. -   Plant description:     -   -   Appearance.—Perennial decorative-type garden Chrysanthemum;             compact plant habit with stems upright and outwardly             spreading giving a uniformly mounded appearance to the             plant; very freely branching habit, about nine to ten             lateral branches each with multiple secondary branches;             pinching enhances lateral branch development; dense and full             plant habit; strong and vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 19 cm.         -   Plant width.—About 26 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 17 cm. Diameter: About             4.5 mm. Internode length: About 1.8 cm. Strength: Strong.             Texture: Pubescent; longitudinally ridged. Color: Close to             138A.         -   Leaves.—Arrangement: Alternate, simple. Length: About             4.8 cm. Width: About 4.4 cm. Apex: Mucronate. Base:             Attenuate. Margin: Palmately lobed, sinuses between lateral             lobes nearly parallel. Texture, upper and lower surfaces:             Pubescence; veins prominent on lower surface. Color:             Developing and fully expanded leaves, upper surface: Close             to N137A; venation, close to N137B. Developing and fully             expanded leaves, lower surface: Close to 147B; venation,             close to 147B. Petiole: Length: About 1.8 cm. Diameter:             About 3 mm. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent.             Color, upper surface: Close to 137B. Color, lower surface:             Close to 137C. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Appearance.—Decorative-type inflorescence form with             ligulate-shaped ray florets; inflorescences borne on             terminals above foliage; disc and ray florets arranged             acropetally on a capitulum.         -   Fragrance.—Faintly fragrant, pungent.         -   Flowering response.—Under natural season conditions, plants             flower about September 14^(th) in the Northern Hemisphere.         -   Postproduction longevity.—Inflorescences maintain good color             and substance for about 4.5 weeks in an outdoor nursery;             inflorescences persistent.         -   Quantity of inflorescences.—About 13 inflorescences develop             per lateral branch.         -   Inflorescence bud.—Height: About 1.3 cm. Diameter: About             1.2 cm. Shape: Oblate. Color: Close to 165B.         -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 4.5 cm. Depth (height):             About 1.8 cm. Disc diameter: About 5 mm. Receptacle             diameter: About 1.8 cm. Receptacle height: About 5 mm.             Receptacle color: Close to 137A.         -   Ray florets.—Shape: Ligulate. Orientation: Initially             upright, then perpendicular to peduncle with apices             reflexing with development. Aspect: Initially incurved, then             mostly flat. Length: About 2.1 cm. Width: About 7 mm. Apex:             Shallowly emarginate. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Entire.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous;             longitudinally ribbed. Number of ray florets per             inflorescence: About 158 arranged in about twelve whorls.             Color: When opening, upper surface: Close to 167A to 167B.             When opening, lower surface: Close to 163C. Fully opened,             upper surface: Close to 166D; color becoming closer to N167C             with development. Fully opened, lower surface: Close to 163C             tinted with close to 164B; color does not fade with             development.         -   Disc florets.—Shape: Tubular, elongated. Length: About 5 mm.             Diameter: About 2 mm. Number of disc florets per             inflorescence: About 35. Color, immature: Apex: Close to 1A.             Mid-section: Close to 11A. Base: Close to 157D. Color,             mature: Apex: Close to 6C. Mid-section: Close to 11A. Base:             Close to 157D.         -   Phyllaries.—Number of phyllaries per inflorescence: About 20             arranged in about three whorls. Length: About 7 mm. Width:             About 2.5 mm to 3 mm. Shape: Elliptical. Apex: Acute. Base:             Truncate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper surface: Smooth,             glabrous. Texture, lower surface: Pubescent. Color, upper             surface: Close to 146A. Color, lower surface: Close to             N137B.         -   Peduncles.—Length, terminal peduncle: About 4.2 cm. Length,             fourth peduncle: About 6.8 cm. Diameter, terminal peduncle:             About 2.5 mm. Angle: Mostly upright to 35° to 45° from             vertical. Strength: Strong. Texture: Pubescent. Color: Close             to 146B.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium (Present on disc florets             only): Stamen number: About five per floret. Filament             length: About 2.5 mm. Filament color: Close to 157D. Anther             length: About 1.5 mm. Anther shape: Oblong. Anther color:             Close to 11B. Pollen amount: Scarce. Pollen color: Close to             11B. Gynoecium (Present on both ray and disc florets):             Pistil length: About 6 mm. Stigma shape: Bi-parted. Stigma             color: Close to 3A. Style length: About 3 mm. Style color:             Close to 1C. Ovary color: Close to NN155D.         -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production have not been             observed. -   Disease/pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common to     Chrysanthemums has not been observed on plants grown under     commercial conditions. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have     demonstrated excellent garden performance and will tolerate     temperatures ranging from about 0° C. to about 38° C. 

1. A new and distinct Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Fancy Yoursula’ as illustrated and described. 